Degenerative Disc Disease
Your spine consists of 33 vertebrae with discs in between each to allow proper cushioning and mobility throughout your back. These discs along with your vertebrae allow your spine to maintain proper posture and carry the weight of your body. Knowing the mechanics of your back and the signs of issues makes early detection and treatment for degenerative disc disease more successful. That's how an experienced Manhattan team of sports and pain management specialists can help.
The discs between your vertebrae are made up of concentric sheets of collagen fibers. This surrounds the inner core, which is made up of a protein gel with cushioning fibers enclosed. Increased stress and injury cause the breakdown of the outer layer, and the inner layer can leak out. This outcome reduces flexibility, puts pressure on surrounding nerves, and allows bone-on-bone contact, leading to pain and eventual degenerative disc disease treatments.
Degenerative Disc Disease NYC — SPIN Sports Pain Specialists
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Causes for Degenerative Disc Disease
Your degenerative disc disease treatment in NYC differs, depending on the cause of your problems. Open and honest communication with your pain specialist helps pinpoint the nature of your back pain and the best possible treatment for degenerative disc disease.
Osteoarthritis
As you age, wear and tear of the cartilage puts more pressure on your discs.
Herniated discs
Injury or trauma causes some discs to bulge and herniate.
Spinal stenosis
Narrowing of your spinal canal, due to bone growth or weakening discs, adds pressure to the other discs.
Spondylolisthesis
Poor posture, repetitive motion or injury causes one vertebrae to slip in front of another.
Scoliosis
Discs can degenerate in a lopsided fashion, causing the spine to curve.
Symptoms Direct Your Doctor to Best Treat Degenerative Disc Disease
Symptoms may be mild or severe. They may come and go or become persistent and chronic. Symptoms include:
- Pain from leaking discs or bone growths that apply pressure on neighboring nerves
- Neck pain; if leaking or damaged discs occur in the first eight vertebrae, it's called cervical degenerative disc disease
- Shoulder pain resulting from irritation or damage to nerves and discs, where the pain radiates toward your shoulder, also called cervical radiculopathy
- Hand pain and numbness resulting from referred pain in your neck
- A movement that becomes painful
- Back pain, especially in your lower back if the vertebrae at the end of your spine are compromised
- Hip pain, another form of lumbar radiculopathy from radiating nerve root pain
- Leg pain or sciatica occurs when the largest nerve in your leg becomes pinched and inflamed, causing pain when sitting, standing or walking
- Normal daily activities become difficult to perform
It's hard to determine when your pain is from overuse and when more extensive degenerative disc disease treatment may be required. You should definitely consult your NYC physician if your pain gets worse for no obvious reason, especially if rest and over-the-counter medication doesn't provide relief. If numbness and tingling continue or you become unable to move part of your body, call for an appointment. If you start to lose control of your bowels or bladder, seek medical attention soon.
Diagnosis to Prepare for Degenerative Disc Treatments
Certain individuals have a greater risk of developing degenerative disc disease. If you're obese or a smoker, or you have a job doing the heavy lifting, your chances increase. Your sports medicine and pain specialist considers these and other information from:
- A complete and extensive medical history
- Physical exam
- Range-of-motion tests
- Looking for areas of tenderness and nerve-related changes, such as numbness, weakness, and tingling
- Checking for other conditions, such as fractures, tumors, or infection
- Imaging tests
Ready to find relief from degenerative disc disease?
Dr. Melepura's Midtown Manhattan clinic offers same-day appointments for evaluation and treatment.
How to Treat Degenerative Disc Disease
Treatments, as with any degenerative disease, focus mainly on symptom relief and slowing the progression of the disease. Your Manhattan pain specialist may suggest several treatments at once, including:
- Physical therapy
- Exercises for stretching and strengthening
- Cold and heat treatments
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Careful and gentle manual manipulation
- Epidural steroid injections
- Rarely, surgery to remove damaged discs, fuse your spine for strength, or replace a damaged disc with an artificial substitute
Aftercare for Degenerative Disc Disease Treatments
As your pain subsides and mobility improves, your NYC pain specialist may recommend continued physical therapy, pain medication, or a brace for your neck or back to relieve any further flare-ups. Avoiding nicotine and excessive alcohol helps keep discomfort minimized.
Drinking plenty of water, taking daily walks, and investing in ergonomic furniture help sustain your recovery and keeps you on a more comfortable lifestyle path. While some of your fitness and sports activities may be curtailed, you should be able to continue with a modified lifestyle for a long time.
Real Stories from our Patients
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD
Double Board-Certified Pain Specialist
Meet Dr. Febin Melepura — Your Degenerative Disc Disease Specialist in NYC
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD is a double board-certified interventional pain management specialist and the founder of the Sports Pain Institute of New York. He completed his residency and fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.
He holds dual board certifications from the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, and has treated more than 7,500 patients and performed over 5,250 procedures throughout his career. He has been named a Top Pain Management Doctor in New York and one of America's Top Doctors™ by Castle Connolly.
Dr. Melepura's approach to degenerative disc disease is rooted in precision: identify the exact source, treat it with a targeted injection, and get you back to your daily life as quickly as possible.
Ready to Book an Appointment?
Same-day appointments available. Call (212) 621-7746 or book online.
What Our Degenerative Disc Disease Patients Say
"Able to make an appointment to see Dr. Melepura on short notice… attentive to my concerns… Jazmin was also very kind and helpful."
"Excellent hospitality, listener and explainer… highly recommend the doctor and the place."
"Dr. Melepura is the best! He worked with me to find the optimal solution to my shoulder pain while I was preparing for a fight!"
"Lovely, bright and modern… doctor and staff were kind… felt my concerns were heard."
"Helpful and friendly staff who gladly follows up with you if and when needed. Dr Melepura was very helpful and professional as well as provided me with excellent information and feedback."
"Dr Febin is fantastic! Highly recommend him and his practice the Spin clinic. The doctor is a good listener, kind, attentive and gave me great advice. "
"Dr.Melepura was very efficient and interpersonal, felt like he was understanding the problems I was having and explained the processes to take to rehabilitate. I would recommend."
"I felt listened to and truly understood by Dr. Melepura. Started PT the very next day. They were very friendly and I didn't feel rushed at all. Already recommended them to my friends who have or continue to play through pain."